The present invention relates generally to optical guidance systems for providing visual cues of glide slope location to aircraft, and more particularly to a novel portable landing aid for providing glide slope information to aircraft under adverse lighting conditions at austere landing sites.
The present invention provides a portable glide slope indicator including a pair of light sources, one projecting a steady beam and one projecting a blinking beam. A pair of indicators deployed at the end of a runway provide accurate and easily interpretable visual glide slope information, whereby the pilot of an incoming aircraft may easily determine the position of the aircraft relative to a preselected glide path. The glide slope indicator of the invention may include filters to project infrared light beams observable with night vision aids. The indicator has particular utility for assisting aircraft landings on austere runways at night with or without infrared night vision assistance.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved aircraft glide slope indicator.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable glide slope indicator system for beaming visual glide slope information to aircraft.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a glide slope indicator system for visually defining glide path location observable with infrared sensitive vision aids for night landings.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a portable glide slope indicator system to facilitate aircraft landings on austere landing sites.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent as the detailed description of certain representative embodiments thereof proceeds.